MVP’s Own Our Venues acquires Newport venue

The UK’s Music Venue Properties (MVP) has acquired Newport’s Le Pub under its Own Our Venues scheme.

Founded in 1992, Le Pub (also known as Le Public Space) has been touted as a ‘cornerstone’ of Newport’s music scene with alumni including Skindred and Kids in Glass Houses.

The venue, which also operates as a bar, restaurant, and nightclub, has endured a handful of challenges over the years including a relocation to new premises. Now, under MVP’s #OwnOurVenues initiative, the future of the venue has been secured.

Own Our Venues was originally launched as a Community Share Offer in 2022 as the first step in a long-term campaign to take control of the freeholds of music venue premises and bring them under a protected status of benevolent ownership.

The project was made possible by more than 1,200 individual investors including £500,000 investment from both Arts Council England and Arts & Culture Finance.

“Having a landlord who is as passionate about live music as we are, will make a massive difference to us”

To date almost £2.8m has been raised from over 1300 individual investors and funding. The scheme has received additional support from the Community Ownership Fund including £250k to realise the purchase of Le Pub.

In addition to Le Pub, Own Our Venues has purchased four other venues: The Snug in Atherton, The Ferret in Preston, The Bunkhouse in Swansea and The Booking Hall in Dover.

“We are very excited to be part of the Music Venue Properties family of owned venues,” says Samantha Dabb, the manager of Le Pub. “Having a landlord who is as passionate about live music as we are, will make a massive difference to us and guarantee the venue’s future in Newport.”

Mark Davyd, founder of Music Venue Trust, adds: “Le Pub was one of the very first venues to join the Music Venues Alliance, and has been, for the last ten years, one of the most vocal and active campaigning voices about the importance of grassroots music venues to our communities, towns and cities. To see it taken into protected ownership, guaranteeing its future for decades to come, is a huge step forward for live music in Wales and a beacon of what can be achieved through projects like Music Venue Properties.”

To mark the acquisition, Le Pub tonight (10 January) will host a special plaque unveiling and evening of live music with performances by local homegrown talent Murder Club and a guest set by Sam Duckworth of Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.

The event will also feature speeches from supporters and local government representatives.

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